Onetree

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of product for New Classrooms, a nonprofit that uses technology, innovative classroom design, and teacher expertise to deliver personalized learning math solutions to students.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Onetree to accomplish for New Classrooms?

We needed a partner to provide technical, design, and research support to help us deliver our education technology product called Teach to One Roadmaps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onetree helps us augment our engineering and QA resources, support our user research and product design, and consult on technical architecture decisions. The team has provided leadership and expertise to allow our team to build and maintain our product for the last 2.5 years. Onetree delivers engineering work in an iterative, agile format. Onetree has helped build our entire product, a middle school math supplemental tool. The UX team has conducted in-depth research on student motivation and engagement and teacher impact. They've delivered numerous concepts that have ultimately gone from design to development, including advanced dashboarding and reporting and a reimagined student learning experience.

What is the team composition?

We work with 10+ teammates from Onetree.

How did you come to work with Onetree?

Onetree was referred to us. We chose them because their value, great culture fit, and strong references.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Onetree in September 2023, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Onetree helped launch our product in August 2024, scale 5x our user base by August 2025, and expand our feature set to increase our impact on students and insights for teachers. We've scaled to 30,000 users and increased active engagement 3x year-over-year. Students using the platform regularly are more likely to be successful on end-of-year exams. Teachers find the platform useful in supporting differentiation and intervention in their classrooms.

How did Onetree perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via virtual meetings, emails, and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Onetree is flexible and has smart, hardworking individuals. The team is willing to take feedback on project structure and resources. We feel like teammates rather than contractors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce manager of a department store in Panama. We offer a wide range of affordable, modern, and functional products for the home, fashion, furniture, and décor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Onetree?

We partnered with One Tree to ensure our e-commerce platform’s technical stability, implement improvements and new features, provide expert support, and optimize internal processes efficiently.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One Tree manages the technical aspects of our operational e-commerce platform, including system maintenance, new feature development, troubleshooting, and timely updates to ensure stability, improve existing implementations, and deliver new functionalities.

What is the team composition?

We work with three core team members, and additional specialists are included as needed for specific requests.

How did you come to work with Onetree?

We found them through direct contact with their sales representatives. We selected them due to the confidence they inspired from the start, their certifications, strong reviews, and proven track record.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2023, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Onetree’s work has led to reduced resolution time for technical issues, improved website stability, and smoother navigation, which has resulted in higher customer retention and, consequently, increased order completions. We’ve seen consistent growth of over 25% in key metrics such as resolution time, website stability, and customer retention.

Overall, these improvements have contributed to a more reliable and efficient e-commerce operation, supporting growth and customer loyalty. Additionally, they have helped expand our online customer reach to areas where our physical stores do not have access, increasing our overall customer volume.

How did Onetree perform from a project management standpoint?

Onetree’s project management is efficient and well-organized. They consistently deliver on time, with fast turnaround on deliverables and minimal delays. We communicate via Slack and calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their combination of technical expertise, responsiveness, and openness to maintain direct communication with the technicians in each area is impressive. This approach makes it easier for projects to be carried out efficiently and without delays.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m satisfied with the service provided and have no suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of engineering at Scale Media, a direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Onetree?

We needed highly qualified software developers on the team as quickly as possible with the ability to scale up and down as needed. We already had a fairly large in-house team, but I wanted them to focus on key projects while an outside team did some of the day-to-day cleanup tasks around our tech stack.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onetree provided us with software development staff augmentation. The team handled day-to-day tasks, which enabled them to get familiar with our tech stack. Eventually, we used them for key projects as well. Our products consist of a custom e-commerce suite, and Onetree worked mainly in PHP, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Our company is 100% remote. 

What is the team composition? 

At the project’s peak, we had about four engineers from Onetree working with us. 

How did you come to work with Onetree?

I found them online when looking for nearshore solutions. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2021–June 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Onetree always delivered excellent code, and I was very happy with the team’s performance. The nice thing about using a nearshore development team is that we could really integrate them into our team. Onetree developers were part of our daily stand-up meetings, and we looped them into all decisions around our product — they operated as part of our internal team.

Moreover, bringing on Onetree was instrumental in allowing our projects to reach a point of predictability around timelines. The team was very good at accurately estimating how long tasks would take, which we appreciated. 

How did Onetree perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a good job of tracking the developers’ time spent on tasks, and the budget was pretty much set. Onetree was timely in sending us invoices and time reports to validate our expectations in terms of the projected work time each month. 

We communicated with Onetree via Slack, Google Meet, and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Onetree provided an excellent balance between value and service provided. Although they weren’t the cheapest option, they weren’t the most expensive. Moreover, the team was easy to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When sending candidates to US-based tech companies, they should ensure the resumes reflect those companies’ expectations. I already shared this feedback with Onetree, and they improved. Ultimately, there are cultural differences in what people expect from resumes in different countries. Having cultural sensitivity will help Onetree succeed in bringing on other companies in the future. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Maintain open lines of communication, and don’t be shy about sharing what you need and what isn’t working. Onetree is always open to feedback and trying to get the right answers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of engineering for a beverage delivery platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Onetree?

We had an e-commerce platform that only worked on the web and needed to develop a mobile platform for it. We didn’t have enough technical personnel to do it. So we approached Onetree to help us with staff augmentation services for this project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onetree provided a development team that worked on an Android and iOS mobile app based on React Native and Python.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, two scrum masters, and 20 developers from Onetree’s team.

How did you come to work with the Onetree?

We evaluated three companies and chose Onetree because they had experience developing applications based on the language we were looking for. In addition, they had enough engineering resources and seemed like a trustworthy team. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent $1.8 million with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

For this project, we worked from January–June 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Onetree finished the whole development in about five months, which was a major success because that allowed us to launch the app and its complements in Mexico and five other countries. Moreover, we were able to merge our branding through all of the countries in which we operate. 

How did Onetree perform from a project management standpoint?

We managed the project ourselves, and Onetree’s team was able to stick to our planning very well. Their management showed great flexibility, and whenever we had any urgent matter, we knew we could count on them. Regarding tools, we used Jira, Slack, and phone calls.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I sometimes didn’t feel completely conformable with the team leaders they assigned, so I think they could improve that. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is important. We established weekly or biweekly meetings to measure the team’s engagement properly. In addition, it’s a good idea to share the developers’ performance so they can take your feedback into consideration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there

I’m the digital marketing manager at an industrial automation company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Onetree?

We needed someone to create an e-commerce website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onetree developed our e-commerce site using Magento and Salesforce. They specifically built the site to make it easy for us to update it on our own. Since our sector doesn’t use the typical POS system, it functioned as a catalog that displayed our services.

What was the team composition?

It varied each time, but in total, we worked with 7–10 people.

How did you come to work with Onetree?

When I started working for the company, Onetree was already our partner, so I honestly don’t know how we chose them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from September 2019–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Onetree developed a site that allowed us to independently manage and update the site in a straightforward and efficient way. Furthermore, the catalog was a great lead generation tool.

How did Onetree perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira as a project management tool. They had strong organization and communication skills. Their project manager also did a great job. Overall, they did an excellent job, and we were very pleased.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their approach was very client-oriented; Onetree was really committed to our success. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

For this particular project, their time estimates ended up falling short. They could improve on establishing deadlines.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief product officer. Our company aims to teach public schools in the US to make better, informed education technology (EdTech) purchase decisions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Onetree?

We needed help with development. We saw that some public schools had problems with wasteful spending of tax dollars on EdTech products that weren’t used efficiently.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onetree developed a platform using a Microsoft technology stack and hosted it on Azure. It allows us to collect contextual information from school district members to create profiles for each of them. It also gathers implementation reports on how these districts went about implementing certain technologies. Once we have that data in the system, we make it available for other people looking to make technology purchases. They only need to fill out their contextual survey to match them to experts in our system based on their district personality and then see how the implementation of certain products went within districts that are very similar to theirs. 

Although the platform is finished, the Onetree team continues to do specific development tasks for us. We’ve had them rebrand and recreate our entire website at some point.

What is the team composition?

The core team consists of about six people. At the height of development, we worked with 8–10 people. 

How did you come to work with Onetree?

We decided to outsource because we’re not a technology company, and we didn’t want to build an in-house team of software engineers. Hence, we looked both domestically and abroad. Our decision to work with Onetree was based primarily on their reputation — we spoke with 3–4 of their customers, and they all had positive experiences with the Onetree team. Additionally, our time zones were relatively similar, they were fluent in English, and they were familiar with the technologies that we wanted to use.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the project in October 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They produced high-quality software, and everything has gone exceptionally well. In terms of gathering requirements and designing the platform, the team was very thorough and detailed. The software engineering itself was excellent, and there were very few issues concerning bugs. Anything that may not have worked at some point was fixed quickly and correctly.

How did Onetree perform from a project management standpoint?

The Onetree team definitely puts importance on communication. We interact with them constantly during the workday via Slack, phone calls, Google Meet, or Zoom. It’s like we have our own remote engineering team. We also use Jira and Confluence.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with the value we’ve received for the money we’ve paid. Everything has gone exceptionally well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they could do better — they’re very good at their job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there

I’m an IT manager at a retail lighting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Onetree?

We needed help with the creation of an e-commerce website for our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onetree developed the website and e-commerce site of the company using Magento. The website is our primary contact method. It shows our clients all the information related to our branches, products catalog, and contact information and allows them to buy our products online.

What was the team composition?

We currently work with three people from Onetree in maintenance and update services.

How did you come to work with Onetree?

We were looking for a local agency to work with because we needed to work closely with someone for continuous support. In addition, they were one of the local leaders working with Magento technologies, so they were the best choice.

How much have you invested in them?

We spend $15,000–$20,000 per year with them on maintenance and support services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2014, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Their service is excellent; they provide great support services and are available right away.

How did Onetree perform from a project management standpoint?

Their working methodology is efficient; they analyze the requirements, have meetings, estimate the capabilities and needs of the project, make a QA, validate everything, and then pass it into production — the process is always very smooth. 

In terms of communication, we primarily use email and phone calls. As for deadlines, they always meet them even earlier than we sometimes expect — their project management is excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their support and customer service are great; they always solve any request immediately. They are also sincere and trustworthy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there

I’m a general manager at a meat exports company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Onetree?

We hired them to develop our e-commerce store. We wanted to start selling our products in the US, so we needed this platform for that. We also wanted to create a good experience for our customers and provide more information about grass-fed meat, which is the main product we were looking to export.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onetree developed an e-commerce platform for us using Magento, and they’re currently providing support and maintenance to it.

What was the team composition?

We’ve been working with 4–5 people throughout the project.

How did you come to work with Onetree?

The owners of the company found Onetree; they made good contact right away and started working on the project.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$100,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2014, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The results have been very good; we’ve been able to solve setbacks quickly. On the technical side, they’re also great — the overall experience has been excellent.

How did One tree perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great. We communicate using Zoom, Google Meets, and all the tools to work remotely. They’re agile and always available to any requests we might have — everything has been very fluid and quick in that regard.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We don’t have tech experience, and they’ve been able to translate complex processes into a language that we can understand easily.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an assistant professor at the University of Michigan in the College of Pharmacy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Onetree?

I needed someone to customize the functional assessments within a smartphone app that I was developing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with Onetree to develop a first-generation app. The app was made to monitor for treatment side effects in patients with cancer. We needed physical assessments customized in certain ways through the code.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager that managed their team.

How did you come to work with Onetree?

They were recommended by the company that created the original version of the app. They worked with Onetree in the past on numerous projects that required customization.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Onetree from March–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We went into the project with a clear idea about what we wanted created, and Onetree delivered that within the timeline and budget. Everything worked great, and we received the ideal results.

How did Onetree perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager was responsible for all of the communication. They made sure the right people were doing what they needed to do. At any given time, I had a very clear timeline from the beginning. We stuck to that.

Most of our meetings were through video calls. We also spoke through email. If anything changed on my end or there’s, it was quickly reflected in an updated timeline or a discussion.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The project management and communication were some of their strengths.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not that knowledgeable on the technical side. I think it was a struggle for me to try and work with them when I needed to convey what I needed. I had such little knowledge, and I don’t think they were used to working with clients like that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a medical tech app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OneTree?

Their team built a patient-driven portal for the organization of healthcare records.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Being a physician, we wanted someone experienced to translate the vision into a user-friendly interface that could be used by tech-savvy people and younger adults. Their team built a user-friendly interface for the app. They also worked on design. They used InVision to show us the wireframes.

What is the team composition?

There were five team members. There was a person who set up the contract and negotiated the initial deal. There was also a project manager.

How did you come to work with OneTree?

Our CTO is from Latin America and he had worked with them previously. We loved their work—it was clean and incredibly professional.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in March 2020 and is wrapping up in June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The work is phenomenal. We were thrilled—the app is very easy to use in regard to our branding. The iconography was incredibly clean. They put lots of time and investment into the research and really understood the project. It’s still in beta testing, but so far, it’s been amazing.

How did OneTree perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been professional and they work at a great pace. The timeline was something we were comfortable with. There was more to the project than we anticipated, so we added two weeks. There were some complications with COVID-19 and moving offices as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They put so much time and effort into understanding our culture and mission statement. They took the time to learn minute differences and technical specifications.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’d ask them to improve.